CHICAGO: Wilson Sporting Goods Co. Wednesday announced the release of the Wilson Airless Gen1 – the first-of-its-kind 3D-printed basketball that never needs to be inflated.
Building off the success of the Airless Prototype debut last year, the limited-edition Wilson Airless Gen1 basketball will be available for purchase on February 16 for $2,500.
The Wilson Airless Gen1 has similar functionality to the prototype, however over the last year, the Wilson Labs team has taken the steps to increase performance and streamline the manufacturing process. The basketball nearly fits the performance specifications of a regulation basketball, including its weight, size and rebound (bounce). While the Wilson Airless Gen1 is crafted for play, it is truly a coveted, technology-infused product meant to create and inspire a new community of innovation enthusiasts and basketball hype curators alike.
The main updates to the Wilson Airless Gen1 include:
Improved functionality: Upgraded lattice design for more consistent performance and bounce. The ball still includes the same see-through lattice with eight panel-like “lobes.”
Streamlined manufacturing: Holes integrated within the channels to help speed up the manufacturing process, making it faster to create each ball. The basketball remains airless and does not to be inflated.
Enhanced customization: Each ball will have a built-in label for customization and will feature the exact, limited number in which it was produced.
Color variety: In addition to the recognizable jet-black colorway of the prototype, the Airless Gen1 will also be available in brown and natural white.
The Wilson Labs team leveraged the same game-changing process to create the Wilson Gen1 Airless basketball with key partners: General Lattice provided computational design services for elevated performance optimization, DyeMansion provided color and finishing solutions, EOS provided technical oversight and a roadmap for mass production, while SNL Creative was the primary manufacturing hub for this first launch.
